Naruto's Springtime of Youth
by Seraphos
Summary: Same Naruto you know and love, same shy Hinata. But what if Naruto had a sensei that actually teaches him something? What if he wasn't on a team with a fangirl and an angsty teenager? What if he could embrace his Springtime of Youth?
1. Chapter 1, Teaming Up

Author: R. Anthony Roth

Beta Reader: Noble Spirit

Pairing(s): Naru/Hina, with potential for others

Language: Canadian English

"Speech"

'Thought'

"Kyuubi/Inner Sakura speech"

'Kyuubi/Inner Sakura thought'

_A/N: This story begins after Iruka gave his forehead protector Naruto, and before the announcement of the team pairings. Some slight differences include that Tenten, Lee, and Neji are all in the same class as Naruto, and as such, the four potential sensei jounin are Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi. _

_In addition, note that although I like fluff and all, the romance will be realistic and gradual. As one other author put it, "I don't like seeing Naruto go from not noticing Hinata, to cleaning out her tonsils within one chapter." _

_A warning to fans out there, I plan to avoid Naruto and everyone else from becoming overpowering. Indeed, I have trouble understanding why the genin seem to be better than most chuunin and some jounin. _

_Other than that, please enjoy, ohh, and review or face my wrath. First fanfic, give me some understanding. _

In a small apartment in the middle of Konohagakure, a young blond boy stirred in his bed. Although still half asleep, Naruto's subconscious knew there was something he needed to do today, but as usual, his single-track mind was stuck in sleeping mode.

As luck would have it, his alarm clock went off. Looking over at the clock, he realized a dangerous fact. "Damn! I'm late!" exclaimed Naruto as he jumped out of bed, attempting quickly to don all his assorted ninja equipment. "Stupid alarm clock, always ringing at the wrong time!" raved Naruto as he lamented his rotten luck, the only element of his life that seemed consistent.

He had five minutes to get to the Academy, so he rushed out of his house, jumping from rooftop to rooftop in a hurried attempt to not be late… again.

----------------------------------------At the Ninja Academy---------------------------------------

"_Naruto_!" Screamed Iruka, as the subject of his ire walked into class late for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"But Iruka-sensei! My alarm clock is busted," whined Naruto.

"Yeah and a dog ate your forehead protector, right?" replied Iruka.

"It did?!" shouted Naruto. He panicked before he felt his forehead, realizing it was there from the previous night. "Geez sensei. You scared me for a moment."

"That was sarcasm dobe," drawled a dark and (supposedly) handsome boy in the corner of the class. This was coupled with assorted dreamy sighs of, "Sasuke-kun you're so cool!"

"Teme!" said Naruto while he clenched his fists. He approached Sasuke as he said, "Why don't we see who the better—" However, before things went any further, Iruka stopped the conflict and settled Naruto down. As Naruto returned to his seat, several of the girls in the room sent him glares more intimidating than any genjutsu.

"Today you will be given your team pairings. Three genin will be grouped together with one jounin, each of these teams will the complete missions together." said Iruka after the class settled in.

Each genin had his or her own assortment of thoughts about the information as Iruka announced the first set of teams.

'I hope Sakura-chan is with me' thought Naruto as he looked at the pink-haired kunoichi with dreamy eyes. Noticing Naruto was staring at her, she turned her gaze to Sasuke.

'I don't need a team!' Sasuke thought. 'These weaklings will just hinder my vengeance'

'Sasuke-kun will be mine!' Both Sakura and Ino thought at the same time.

'Ohh' Hinata thought, 'I hope I can be with Naruto-kun…'

'This is so troublesome…' Shikamaru thought.

'I'm so hungry!' Choji thought as he bit into another chip. '_I NEED FOOD!_'

'This should be interesting' Neji thought. He glanced at Hinata and gave his cousin an icy stare. 'It's time to separate the real ninjas from the losers.'

'Yosh! I won't disappoint my team!' Lee thought. 'I can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, but I'll work hard to make up for it!'

"And the pairings for team 7 are Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Hyuuga Neji, with Hatake Kakashi as their sensei."

The male Hyuuga and the Uchiha glared at each other, each trying to intimidate the other with fierce stares. Many people noticed the two angst-ridden boys, and gave them wide berth.

'Yes! I'm on a team with Sasuke-kun!' Sakura thought as she smiled wide. She turned to Ino and stuck her tongue out.

'Guess Sakura and I won't be on the same team.' Naruto thought as he lowered his head.

"For team 8, we have Tenten, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino. Yuuhi Kurenai will be your sensei"

The three genin looked at each other, nodded, and listened to the other announcements.

"Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, and Rock Lee will form Team 9, with Maito Gai as your Sensei"

'Great," Naruto thought. 'On my team is thick eyebrows, and a girl that faints all the time.' He picked his head up from the desk and continued, 'Oh well. I'll have to carry the team!'

'Naruto is on my team?' Hinata thought. 'I can show him how strong I can be.' She glanced at Naruto who was smiling at the thought of going on missions. Thinking he was smiling at her, Hinata began to blush quite profusely

'Yosh!' Rock Lee thought. Together we will shine as amazing ninja!'

As the three ninja exchanged glances, Neji thought, 'Three losers on the same team. They probably won't survive a C-rank border patrol.'

"Finally," Iruka said, "Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji shall form Team 10, with Sarutobi Asuma as their sensei"

"What kind of team is this?" Ino yelled. "I'm stuck with a lazy bum and a chubby pig!"

Choji glared forks at her while Shikamaru mumbled, "... I see you're going to be troublesome to deal with."

Meanwhile, Naruto decided to approach Hinata. "Hey Hinata-san! Looks like we're going to be teammates!"

Naturally, Hinata never thought that she'd get to be this close to Naruto physically. With her senses overwhelmed, she executed her usual reaction, and dropped in a dead faint.

--------------------------------Meanwhile at the Hokage's Tower-------------------------------

"Your choice of teams was unusual sir," noted the Hokage's chuunin attendant. "Team 10, I understand with the family influence. Team 8 is also a logical choice. After all, an accurate ranged attacker can benefit a reconnaissance team."

The assistant glanced at some papers as he continued, "However, Team 7 and 9 are mysteries to me, Team 7 has three of the top four scorers. If the Haruno girl showed any significant aptitude in fighting, she'd be a higher prospect than Tenten." The Hokage nodded as he continued, "On the other hand, Team 9 seems to be extremely weak. Granted, Hinata shows potential, but she doesn't compare to her cousin. Lee can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, which makes him a liability for any team, and Naruto barely graduated from the academy."

"I understand your concern, but Team 8 has a balance of tracking, combat, and …" The Hokage paused to think how to classify Sakura. Aside from her grades and chakra control, she was quite possibly a below-average ninja. "A potential genjutsu user. Also, Hatake Kakashi is perfect for training the Uchiha and a tensai _(A/N: tensai means genius)_."

"Okay, your logic is flawless as usual Hokage-sama. What about team 9 though?"

"That's why I picked their sensei." Replied the Hokage as he took a drag from his pipe. "Naruto has no perceivable taijutsu training, but he shows great potential. Combined with the ability to use the forbidden Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu, he could become a formidable opponent. Lee can only focus on taijutsu and since Maito Gai is a taijutsu specialist, he'll train him well in that area. Hinata's Byakugan would be an excellent complement to the teams' strategic importance. That, and she can use the confidence boost from three of Konoha's most… inspiring… characters."

The assistant nodded in agreement, understanding the Hokage's rationale.

"Besides" The Hokage said as he lowered his pipe. "Between you and me, I think Naruto needs a positive female presence."

"Uhh sir… what do you mean by that??" inquired the surprised chuunin.

"Hey I can see everything with this crystal ball," retorted the Hokage. "Unlike Naruto, I'm not a complete blockhead."

"Point well taken Hokage-sama" acknowledged the now mollified attendant. As he bowed, the assistant thought, "I wonder if he can see naked women with that crystal ball."

----------------------------------------Back at the Academy-------------------------------------

"Ano… Iruka sensei, what do we do if one of our teammates dies? I think we are going to need a replacement for Hinata-san," queried Naruto

"She just fainted you imbecile!" yelled Iruka

"Why?" Naruto asked. "Was it something you said Iruka sensei?"

Everybody in the room sweat drops.

"Anyway, before somebody else interrupts again," Iruka said, "each team's respective sensei will be meeting you in this room in a few minutes, so sit tight. As new ninjas, make Konoha proud! It has been a pleasure teaching you." Then Iruka's thoughts flooded to the multiple pranks that Naruto pulled, the lack of attention that some of the boys gave him, the fights he broke up between the Sasuke obsessed fan-girls – those amongst many other transgressions.

'I think it was a pleasure teaching you.' He thought.

Afterward, the assorted sensei's picked up their teams. Even Kakashi showed up after two hours.

The only team that remained was Team 9.

During this span of time, Hinata was revived twice. Naruto revived her the first time, only to watch her faint again as she realized whose arms she was in. Rock Lee, observant enough to notice what was going on, revived her the second time.

Still, Gai hadn't shown up yet.

Naruto was getting extremely twitchy, and even Lee's abundant energy was beginning to wane.

As all hope seemed lost, a green spandex covered man wearing a jounin vest entered the room… upside down doing bunny hops on his thumb.

"Yosh! My Springtime of Youth still runs strong!" exclaimed what would seem to be their sensei, the unique Maito Gai.

"Uhh sensei why are you positioned like that?" asked a now thoroughly puzzled Naruto

"Yesterday my eternally hip rival Kakashi beat me in a heated Thumb War! So to improve my thumb reflexes I vowed to travel like this until I met my new genin team" replied Gai.

Hinata and Naruto crashed onto the floor anime-style.

Meanwhile Lee recognized and admired a kindred spirit. "Oh Gai-sensei! I too shall train my mastery of thumbwork" Exclaimed an enraptured Lee before joining Gai.

After much embracing and crying over the power of youth, Lee and Gai settled down and the team began their introductions.

"I am Rock Lee. I cannot use either genjutsu or ninjutsu, but I have trained my taijutsu to compensate. I like people who work hard and enjoy having a good sweat. My goal is to become a genius of hard work!"

"My name is Hyuuga Hinata. I am heir to the Hyuuga Byakugan, and I fight using the Jyuuken style. I like cooking and… ano…" She glanced at Naruto before she continued, "People who t-try their best and never back d-down on their word. My goal is to make my father and the Hyuuga name proud"

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, my favourite technique is the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. I like pranking, ramen, and people who don't judge others without knowing them. My goal is to become recognized by the villagers and become Hokage! Believe it!"

------------------------------------------Elsewhere in Konoha--------------------------------------

"He used that line again," Sarutobi said as he sighed in defeat. Looking at the crystal ball, he pulled out a scroll and a pen as he continued, "I'll have to make a law banning that phrase."

---------------------------------------------Back to Team 9------------------------------------------

"My name is Maito Gai. I am a taijutsu specialist and a master of hard work. I enjoy spandex attire, challenging myself to improve my skills, and battling with my eternal rival Kakashi. My goal is to help my students embrace the Springtime of Youth!"

This was followed with several rounds round of "Ohh Gai-sensei, Ohh Lee" and Naruto and Hinata having another encounter with their new acquaintance – the floor.

He pulled out three green spandex suits for each of his genin to wear. Hinata was the first to decline Gai's offer, albeit in a polite but firm fashion. Although intrigued with the suit, Naruto followed Hinata's lead.

Lee on the other hand was a lost cause.

But we knew that already.

------------------------------------The next day at training area 3149562-------------------------------

Gai had gathered his team to perform the general assessment test carried out by jounin instructors on their new students. However the unconventional Green Beast of Konoha _(A/N: Gai's self-ordained title)_ had his own ideas regarding the assessment of his genin.

"Good morning youthful charges!" exclaimed the perpetually exuberant Gai "Today I am expected to give you three an assessment"

"Whaaat?! Another test, this better not involve doing normal bunshins… _(A/N: Naruto still can't control his chakra)"_ whined Naruto

"I said that I am expected to give an assessment, I didn't say it had to be a simple test of shinobi skill" replied Gai "Instead I will have each of you assess yourself"

All three genin were rendered momentarily bewildered by this proposal.

"Ano… Gai-sensei what do you mean by that?" queried a puzzled Hinata

"Simple really, each of you will give a self-assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, skills etc." responded Gai "Imagine that you are a jounin instructor who has been asked to analyze your genin self"

"Gai-sensei!! Your unconventional methodology inspires the fires of my youth!" sobbed Lee

"Well then, you can begin first Lee," stated Gai

"Yosh! As a shinobi my main strength is in taijutsu, though I have no particular natural talent I have honed my abilities through hard work" began Lee "However, due to my stunted chakra coils I am unable to perform ninjutsu or genjutsu, as such I barely passed the genin exam"

'Ah good, he is unafraid to point out his own flaws' thought Gai 'Humility is as great a virtue as any'

"Despite my apparent disability I will not relent in my pursuit of excellence as a shinobi, perhaps my greatest strength is my will to continue." Finished Lee

"Good, Naruto its your turn next" beckoned Gai

"Here goes nothing…" started Naruto, "As a shinobi I am proficient in taijutsu, and although my knowledge of ninjutsu is limited, I am by no means incapable. My greatest strengths lie in my usage of subterfuge and genjutsu, as demonstrated by my pranking exploits and my usage of the forbidden Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu."

"Is that all Naruto?" questioned Gai, 'no lack of confidence here'

"Well…" Naruto hesitantly began while sheepishly scratching the back of his head "I am unable to perform regular bunshin, and I technically failed the genin exam… I was the bottom of the class in terms of marks."

"Well its your turn now Hinata" noted Gai

"Ano…… I'm n-not particularly skilled at taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu, and my scores on the genin exam were only slightly above average…" began Hinata meekly before trailing off

"Please continue Hinata" encouraged Gai

"… Although I can use the Byakugan, I'm not as s-s-skilled as a H-hyuuga h-heiress s-should be…" concluded Hinata softly

'Well there is certainly a confidence issue here, definitely something to work on' thought Gai

"Well that's all for now, however we have just been assigned an important mission by the Hokage to complete" said Gai

"Yatta! Our first mission, I'm gonna kick some ass!" whooped Naruto exuberantly

-------------------------------Countless pointless D-class missions later--------------------------------

"Ero-Jiji! _(A/N: Perverted grandfather)_ These missions are completely useless! We are ninja now! I want to capture some criminals, not an old lady's cat!" shouted Naruto after making it back from yet another mission retrieving the infamous Tora, the cat that belonged to the Daimyo's wife.

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, "How dare you speak to the Hokage like that! Each new genin team must complete a fixed number of D-class missions before advancing to a harder mission!"

"Bah!" replied Naruto. "How stupid is that?"

However before Iruka could blow a gasket, the Hokage interrupted. "Very well. Is it your team's desire to perform a harder task… Maito Gai, are they ready for more?"

"They are all undergoing consistent weight training Hokage-sama, and Naruto has progressed with his taijutsu significantly. I feel that at your discretion, their Fiery Passion of Youth could be channeled through a C-class mission!"

"Well then that's settled, you will be escorting a bridge builder named Tazuna to The Land of the Waves. Get a good night's rest, as your mission begins tomorrow" stated the Hokage.

"Ano… Arigato Hokage-sama" Hinata softly replied.

"All Right! Finally a chance to test my skills!" replied a rambunctious Naruto.

"Yosh! If a single hair on Tazuna-san's head is touched, I shall eat my rations with my feet!" vowed an emotional Lee.

"Ahh the brilliant display of youth!" sobbed a clearly emotional Gai.

----------------------------------------------End Chapter----------------------------------------------

_A/N: Here's a fact for those who don't really watch Naruto: _

_Most people know that Tenten (among many characters) doesn't have a last name (or at least a known one.) There's two theories behind it. First, some people say that Masashi Kishimoto was too lazy to give her a last name. Second, some people say that until 18__th__ Century Japan, most people didn't have a last name – only those with a significant social standing had last names. Meaning if you're a peasant, you didn't have a last name. _

_So either Tenten is a peasant, useless, or both. shrugs -- Sorry Tenten. _


	2. Chapter 2, The Might of The Goken

**Author: **R. Anthony Roth

**Pairing(s): **Naruhina & potentially others

**Language: **Canadian English

"Speech"

'Thought'

"**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura speech"**

'**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura thought'**

(Clarification, fun fact or author's musing, or the name of the person who stated a quote)

(Anything bolded is either sarcasm, emotion of some sort, or potentially extraneous material)

A/N: If you are on this chapter and you haven't written a constructive review yet, then well you should! Looking for beta readers btw, so don't hesitate to give me a message, and a review  Feel free to hate Hiashi's guts all you want, I make him especially **likable** in this chapter. Oh, and Haku is a GIRL. I'm sorry but Masashi Kishimoto seriously got his kink on when he drew Haku, and then decided **she** would be a boy. Furthermore I find the whole "insert quote" said is getting troublesome, so I'm just going with (name of person who stated the quote) after a quote, especially in dialogue, its a lot more convenient and interrupts the flow less. Now on to the show!

Naruto woke up with a start and checked his clock, to his unending surprise he realized that for once he wasn't late! He quickly took this opportunity to pray to whatever kami was watching out for him, then continuing with his daily preparation he got dressed and had breakfast.

Throughout this procedure Naruto was trembling, not from fatigue, nor fear, but rather, from excitement. Today was his first C-Class mission, a chance to escort a helpless bridge builder and defend him from the evils of the world. Unfortunately for Naruto, he didn't know just how cranky a "helpless bridge builder" could get, and fate was planning on providing him a rude wake up call.

Naruto finished his preparations for the journey and rushed to the gates of Konoha, where Hinata was waiting, surprisingly by herself. Moreover Naruto could tell that something was wrong with her, she seemed bleary eyed like she hadn't slept much, and her posture conveyed a sense of misery and despair.

When he asked her about it she simply gave a quiet "meep" and turned away, with his sudden burst of insight and observational skill gone, Naruto returned to his normally thickness and thought that he had said something wrong. His further attempts to apologize for his perceived misdeed were met with blushing and finally a result: "I had a family problem, and I didn't sleep well" was all Hinata revealed, and while this was enough for Naruto, readers clearly expect more. So enjoy:

_------------------------------------The Full Flashback Story----------------------------------------_

_Hinata and Hiashi are sitting in the Hyuuga Dojo, this takes place after Team 9 received their C-Class mission_

"Tousan (father) our team is going on a C-Class mission to the Land of the Waves tomorrow, so I won't be here for a while"

"Hmmm C-Class eh? You sure you aren't too weak for anything harder than D-Class?"

"T-tousan G-g-gai-sensei expressed his c-confidence in our abilities…."

"He expressed confidence in your TEAM'S abilities, not yours, I asked you if YOU were too weak for this"

"I... d-d-don't know.."

"Well the Hyuuga family can't have itself disgraced by your poor performance in the field, so I would like to see your capabilities to gauge them myself"

"H-h-h-hai Tousan"

Readying themselves on either side of the dojo, Hiashi and Hinata activated their Byakugan, and the match began. Hiashi initiated with a couple of small juken bursts to test her defenses, as she worked to dodge them he continued the onslaught, increasing his speed and power until Hinata was unable to do anything except dodge and block.

After a few tense seconds of retreat Hinata was hit by a strike and her defense faltered, this was followed by numerous other scathing hits to her tenketsu points, enough to cause her pain, but not to block them completely.

"Hinata your defense is sloppy, all you seem capable of is dodging, but the moment you get hit you stop and leave numerous openings. Juken style is about defence AND offence, if you can't block my strikes with your own, then you won't ever be able to attack properly either. Get back on your feet!"

"Hai"

This one-sided battering continued for many hours more, with Hiashi coupling his physical hits with emotional ones, which although potentially intended to be constructive, only resulted in further weakening and demoralizing Hinata.

"At your current state I don't think it would be acceptable for me to allow you on a mission away from Konoha, neither I nor you can trust the lives of your comrades to your clearly incapable hands"

"Naruto… **softly**"

"What was that Hinata? questioned Hiashi, "Nothing…" replied Hinata

"Very well I shall inform your sensei of your absence"(Hiashi)

"But Tousan they are part of my team I need to be with them!" shouted Hinata in a sudden outburst of confidence, followed immediately by and equally pervasive silence

"So, you think you need to be with your team hmmm? Admirable perhaps, but it doesn't change the fact that you are useless in this state, we will continue this training until I think that you are ready for your mission. Begin!"

_-----------------------------------------------End Flashback------------------------------------------_

Just as Naruto was beginning to get impatient he glimpsed a flash of green in the distance. With closer observation he realized that Gai was approaching, but he looked a lot taller, almost as if he was carrying someone, as they moved closer the mystery solved itself

The approaching duo's position drew the chuckles and curious stares of numerous villagers, Gai was walking on his hands, and balanced in a similar fashion on Gai's feet was Lee, the two seemed to be on the verge of collapse however. When they finally reached the gates, Lee tumbled off Gai's feet, and Gai collapsed in a heap.

"GAI-SENSEI"

"LEE"

"The furnace of our youthful passion burns strong!" blubbered Lee

"We made it, guided by the flowing waters of our fountain of youthful energy!" agreed a teary-eyed Gai

In response to this Naruto preformed an elegant face-crash, Hinata however was too tired and made do with a sweat drop.

"I'm not even going to ask what random reason you two have for walking around like a two person circus act" sighed an exasperated Naruto

"Ahh Naruto, soon you will also understand and partake in the glorious days of your youth with us!" replied Gai

"GAI-SENSEI YOU'RE INSPIRATIONAL WORDS KEEP ME GOING!" _insert tearful hugging and a fake sunset scene here_

"Ahem…. Don't tell me that you guys are the clowns responsible for guarding me…" asked the recently arrived bridge builder

'We just met the guy and already he's insulting us, then again considering Gai and Lee I can't in good faith blame him' thought Naruto

"Yosh! We are the Konoha nin assigned to your safety, together we shall carry you to the Land of the Waves on our tide of youthful spirit!" expostulated a still emotional Gai

'That has got to be the worst pun I've ever heard, and when you get to my age you tend to have heard a lot' thought Tazuna

"Well you jokers better do a good job, I'm not sure if I can trust my skin to a bunch of crazies like you guys" berated the now annoyed Tazuna

"CRAZIES!? HEY OLD MAN!! You should be thanking us for protecting your cranky old hide, this is my first C-Class mission and you're already ruining" retorted a rapidly angered Naruto

"Why you little brat!"

"Please Naruto-kun Tazuna-san is our contractee…." Hinata softly berated

"Fine Fine, but only because Hinata-san asked me"(Naruto). The result of this exchange was a reasonable familiarization between the Team and their client, in addition to Hinata entering a fit of blushing and stuttering after Naruto's innocent (at least he thought it was) comment.

The journey continued with a few slight mishaps, one of particular note being a rabid squirrel attacking Tazuna, who Lee defended, but not before the loss of a hair off of Tazuna's balding pate. The result of which was Lee commencing to eat his trail rations with only the usage of his feet, a sight rendered additionally comical by Gai's insistence to join his pupil in his training. None of their party however could predict what fate had in store for them in the next few kilometres of trail. None other than the dreaded duo, Gozua and Mezua, the dreaded Demon Sisters!

A/N: Yes this isn't a humour fic I know, but I felt the Land of the Waves arc needed some spicing up, besides you know you're intrigued, and for those of you wondering, yes they are single, heh heh. I was tempted to end this chapter here, but I figured that Demon Sisters aren't exactly the best kind of cliffhanger. Anyways back to the most action packed scene you will ever read, well except for all the other action scenes yet to come in my fic.

As the group were walking towards their destination, a strange mist started to grow in their general area. Tazuna shrugged it off as a common in phenomenon in the Wave Country, but the ninja (even Naruto) sensed something else far more sinister was afoot. Naruto and Lee immediately edged closer to Tazuna who by then had begun to realize that the haze surrounding them was by no means any ordinary fog.

Suddenly two ninja garbed in black appeared behind Gai, with a flick of their strange gauntlets, each released a hail of poisoned senbon at him, each of which riddled his limp body. To the sister's dismay the seemingly dead Gai disappeared in a puff of cliché smoke and replaced by a handy log. The log then considered summoning Bahamut to destroy the Demon Sisters, but then decided that it should save its MP for Sasuke, his eternal rival (plus this is Naruto not Final Fantasy, I apologize to those who didn't get the joke, but it had to be done).

The Sisters were spared from anymore thinking by a cry of "Konoha Shofu!", after which they found themselves suspended in the air, and their breath blasted from their lungs. This surreal state was quickly ended with a resounding "Konoha Dai Senpuu!"

The battle had ended before the genin even had time to blink. After tying up the rogue chuunin Gai gave his students the "Good Guy Pose" (if you don't know what that is, watch the anime or read the manga, find a scene with Gai or Lee, and I'm sure you will see it) and noted "That my pupils, was the goken style, which I shall teach you in due course"

"Ohh Gai-sensei the power of your overflowing youth is most impressive!" shouted an exuberant Lee

"Heh, even I have to admit that your goofball training seems to have some good results" noted a clearly impressed Naruto

"That was amazing Gai-sensei" responded the awed Hinata

"Arigatou mina-san (everybody) but what is important here is that those two were clearly no ordinary ninja attackers, chuunin assassin-nin are hardly at C-Class, have you deceived the fiery passion of our youth Tazuna-san?"

"Please understand my village is poor, and we need this bridge to get our economy running, but an evil businessman Gateau (we'll call him cake for short, get a French translation and you will see what I mean) is trying to sabotage it so he can hold a monopoly over the islands"

"Your story is moving, but you have put my team in undue danger, and even though the instincts of my youth say otherwise, we must turn back"

"But sensei, we must complete this mission, his people are suffering and we would be betraying the golden passion of our youthful years!" proclaimed Lee

"Yeah I never back down from a mission, and I sure as hell ain't gonna wimp out of my first C-Class mission, so bring it on!" added Naruto

"We can't let innocent people suffer sensei!" pleaded Hinata

"Ahh it moves me so to see my students embracing the untameable conflagrations of their youth, very well we will complete this mission, but try the truth next time Tazuna-san, we may be ninja but we do have heart, the Sandaime would likely have acknowledged your plea had it been given in earnest"

"Yosh! We continue onwards with the adventures of our youthful days!"

A/N: I have inserted a helpful mini-glossary for those of you who don't have the anime/manga wherewithal to know everything anyways, or the curiosity to wiki it yourselves.

**_Leaf Rising Wind_**

**Name:** Konoha Shōfū, "Leaf Rising Wind ". Using quickness and agility, the user will do a swift upwards kick at their opponent or at a weapon the opponent is wielding.

**_Leaf Great Whirlwind_**

**Name:** Konoha Daisenpū, "Leaf Great Whirlwind". This jutsu involves a powerful leap forward followed by a spinning kick with both legs in succession, the second kick being aimed lower in case the intended target ducks the first.

_**Strong Fist**_

**Name:** Gōken, "Strong Fist ". Strong Fist is Gai's characteristic fighting style, the purpose of which is to cause external damage and break bones.


	3. Chapter 3, The Terror of the Mist

**Author: **R. Anthony Roth

**Pairing(s): **Naruhina & potentially others

**Language: **Canadian English

"Speech"

'Thought'

"**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura speech"**

'**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura thought'**

(Clarification, fun fact or author's musing)

Anything bolded indicates emotion or extraneous content

A/N: To those of you who have taken the time to review, you have my deep thanks, those of you who haven't…. **EVIL EYE**! A special thanks to SaphireShade who constructively pointed out the difficulty the layout was presenting, a comment, which brought to you the new structurally improved chapters (after an hour or two of editing), I do it for the fans! Now back to our intrepid heroes! Ohh and for those of you who don't feel like reading another wave country rehash **cough **dmitric300 **cough**, I will be starting my own arc soon, plus I plan on making things interesting… (Ohh and on a side note, I am getting rid of Inari, I prefer Tsunami not as a widow, and that little boy pisses me off, if you have any complaints about this specific fact, kindly shove them up your arse where they originated from)

Team 9 continued their journey towards the Land of the Waves for another few thankfully uneventful hours, but like all good action stories this time was limited by fate (and the author). As they were passing a small lake, a strange mist began to envelop them, an occurrence they were now all too familiar with.

"C'mon! Not this damn mist again!" complained Naruto "I mean really, other than dramatic effect its kinda pointless to start a battle with it, your element of surprise is gone, and we all know you are gonna fire some ranged projectile or a jutsu"

'Sigh, everybody is a critic these days' thought a deflated Zabuza 'So the brat thinks he can predict what I'm going to do, we'll see how well he handles me!'

"Naruto, Lee, protect Tazuna, Hinata activate your Byakugan" shouted Gai

"Hai, _Byakugan!_" Scanning the surrounding area Hinata picked up around seven weak chakra signatures, and one significantly stronger one. "Sensei, we seem to be surrounded by moderately powerful opponents, but a significantly stronger one is probably directing them!"

"An ambush? Yosh! It is time to unleash the fiery passion of our youth!" Gai responded

With that, suddenly they were attacked by seven masked opponents, each wielding the same massive sword, and outfitted in camouflage pants and a shirt of rippling muscles (the ladies love Zabuza). They moved for Tazuna, but before they could reach him, two were intercepted with a blistering "_Konoha Dai Senpuu!_", subsequently exploding into twin bursts of water!

"Kuso! (Shit) Mizu Bunshin, that explains what you detected Hinata, but where is the strong…" noted Gai before being interrupted

"_Suiton Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"_ shouted Zabuza, who was followed by an immense dragon composed entirely of roiling water

Team 9 was suddenly engulfed by a torrent of water, which swept the unsuspecting genin, along with Tazuna, off their feet. The Zabuza clones and Gai dodged the blast, but the odds were now against the Konoha-nin, three Zabuzas stood facing only Gai, and three of them were already moving to attack the stunned genin. Knowing that he couldn't turn his attention away from the real enemy jounin, Gai trusted in the abilities of his team and began his fight.

Soaking wet and dishevelled, the battered genin got to their feet, only to suddenly face three bunshin who, despite their watery forms, were radiating killer intent. Readying themselves for combat, Lee and Naruto took up taijutsu stances, while Hinata stayed close to the otherwise defenseless bridge builder.

"So if it's a Clone War you want, watch Star Wars, or… _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_" shouted a small army of Narutos

"Kage Bunshins? You're a surprising one, but no matter, I Momochi Zabuza Demon of the Hidden Mist will kill that bridge builder!" stated one of the water clones before closing in on the genin with his replicas.

Meanwhile Gai began engaging his opponents, trading blows with all three, and avoiding Zabuza's impractically huge cleaver. Finally he broke through the defenses of one and delivered a powerful strike to its stomach, the result was the clone bursting into a cloud of water. But just as Gai was moving on to the next one he heard the shouted words "_Suiro no jutsu!_" and he was suddenly engulfed in a spherical watery prison formed from the body of the destroyed clone.

"Hah! As long as I maintain this jutsu, you will eventually die as your lungs are starved of oxygen" gloated Zabuza

While considering a method of escape, Gai glanced over to see how the rest of his team was faring against their watery opponents.

Lee and Naruto were barely holding their own, as even Naruto's multiple clones were of little use against the massive sweeps of Zabuza's weapon, and Lee's honed taijutsu couldn't penetrate the Demon of the Mist's trained defenses. Hinata on the other hand seemed to have already defeated her opponent, and was moving to aid Lee and Naruto in their respective battles. With a few quick strikes to each clone, Hinata finished the conflict, and was met with awed words and facial expressions from her teammates.

"Sugoi (Amazing) Hinata-chan! How did you manage to defeat them so quickly?" queried a clearly impressed Naruto

'He called me Hinata-_chan_!!' thought a now reddening Hinata

"The spirit of your youth must be burning with the strength of a thousand hot suns to have defeated them so easily!" espoused an equally excited Lee

"n-no it was nothing really, the clones were held together only with chakra, and even their swords were composed of water, so all it took me was a few strikes to disrupt their flow" whispered an embarrassed Hinata while twiddling her thumbs

Seeing his students were safe, Gai decided to end his imprisonment and the battle, "_Initial, Heal Gates Release!_", the sudden explosion of energy rippling from Gai's form broke the prison and sent Zabuza flying backwards.

Then launching him into the air with a rising kick followed with a smashing uppercut, Gai proceeded to grab Zabuza in a full body bear hug and send him plummeting towards the ground at full speed "_Omote Renge!_". With a sickening crack, Zabuza's now limp body tumbled to the ground. But suddenly it poofed into a splintered log

"Naruto, Lee, Hinata WATCH OUT!" screamed Gai

But before his students could react Zabuza descended from the trees and sliced the unsuspecting bridge builder in two with one sweep of his massive sword. Team 9 could only look on in horror as their client was killed and their mission ended… But to (almost) everyone's surprise, Tazuna's severed parts poofed away into smoke, and the immediately confused Zabuza was met with a solid roundhouse kick to the head!

"Hah! You think I was doing nothing while you dealt with Gai-sensei? As a precaution I substituted one of my clones for Tazuna, and now you are going down!" shouted Naruto as another one of his clones dropped from the trees delivering a dropkick to the stunned Zabuza.

But just as Gai rushed to join Naruto, both were stopped by a hail of senbon descending from the upper canopy of the trees.

"You amuse me boy, but next time you won't be so lucky! This fight shall be finished later" said Zabuza before disappearing into the still present mist.

Beginning to run after Zabuza, Naruto tripped and fell, the exhaustion of battling a jounin class ninja and creating so many clones broke past his previous adrenaline rush. Thankfully Team 9 had come out of the battle with no significant injuries, but with the knowledge that a known jounin assassin was preparing to attack again, and that next time he wouldn't underestimate them. This, coupled with the fact that the unseen senbon-wielding attacker was likely also quite dangerous, left them in a worried silence.

"Good job team, the flames of your youth evaporated the waters of danger, but he will be back" said Gai "However his recovery will take a few days, this will give us time to train for our next battle"

"Yosh Gai-sensei! We are ready to learn!" replied Lee

"Good, then we shall begin when we reach the village…. Uhh Naruto where exactly is Tazuna?" inquired Gai

"I left him in-" began to reply Naruto before being interrupted by a rapidly approaching source of incoherent curses

"Damn cocky shinobi! WARN ME NEXT TIME YOU PLAN ON GAGGING ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST!! &$#" screamed a seriously pissed Tazuna

"I saved your STUPID ASS! You would probably have given yourself away if I hadn't gagged that old foul mouth of yours!" replied Naruto "Besides its your ass that's being hunted by killer jounin assassins, not mine, so be grateful!"

Mollified by the truth of Naruto's words, the irked bridge-builder quieted down, but not before spouting another stream of curses, which left the impressionable Hinata blushing profusely and wilted several flowers in the vicinity.

Soon they reached the village, and were guided by Tazuna to a moderately sized, but modestly furnished, two story house, where his elegant raven-haired daughter Tsunami greeted them. The sight of whom sent Gai, Lee, and Naruto blushing, and drew out an otherwise rare twinge of jealousy from Hinata.

"Welcome to our humble abode, please make yourselves at home" Tsunami courteously said "I can't thank you enough for protecting my father, you can't imagine how much it means to me and the entire village"

"The fiery passion of our youths would have us act no other way Miss Tsunami-san" replied the enthralled Gai

"Well I better get dinner started, after all you must be hungry from your long journey" noted Tsunami

"Hai, I will help you in the kitchen" offered Hinata

"Arigato Hinata-chan" replied Tsunami

After discussing the arrangements for the bridge building with Tazuna, Gai turned to Naruto, while Lee hung around the kitchen, floating on the delicious scents that came wafting out.

"Naruto you might have noticed that you can clearly remember the sight of Zabuza's sword cleaving you in half, in addition to seeing the previous battle from multiple viewpoints" began Gai

"True, that had been confusing me for a while now" replied Naruto hesitantly

"The reason for this is that the Kage Bunshin no jutsu creates clones that provide their memories and experience to the user when they are poofed from existence" continued Gai

"That mean that I was able to gain five times the experience…?" queried Naruto

"Very perceptive, apparently your springtime of youth is bountiful in knowledge, however this isn't an RPG, meaning that although you did benefit, it wouldn't be exactly five times more" noted Gai

"But still, that's awesome!" commented a now thoroughly excited Naruto

"Yes, any physical or chakra based training you do with your clones shall provide the memory of the exertions and the associated benefit your own body, but there is a caveat" cautioned Gai, "As you noticed it takes a great deal of chakra to do this, and as such can be a dangerous technique, hence its original entry into the forbidden scroll"

"But I can make a lot of clones if I try" protested Naruto

"Indeed we have seen that, however maintaining them is necessary for prolonged training, and doing so is quite draining" replied Gai, "however your body's constant struggle with its… tenant… has given you a significant chakra reserve, enough for you to train using this method, but still limiting how far you can push yourself"

Just as their conversation drew to close, Tsunami and Hinata brought in their simple, but exceptionally delicious, meal. As the group ate, Naruto provided a slightly exaggerated account of his "epic duel" with Zabuza to an appreciative Tsunami. Meanwhile Gai and Lee challenged each other to a speed-eating contest, the loser of which would have to crab walk 100 laps around the house.

After dinner was finished, and Gai completed his 100 laps, the group rejoined for a brief team meeting.

"It is clear that we must be prepared for Zabuza's inevitable reappearance, thus my youthful charges, tomorrow our training begins!"

A/N: My laziness has led me to scrap the mini-glossary, except in the event that I invent my own jutsu, which you should count on in the future. Otherwise wiki the jutsu names yourselves. What can I say? I'm one hell of a lazy bastard. Ohh and review or you'll find the head of your decapitated pet/sibling/parent/guardian on your bed in the morning!


	4. Chapter 4, An Exercise in Determination

**Author: **R. Anthony Roth

**Pairing(s): **Naruhina & potentially others

**Language: **Canadian English

"Speech"

'Thought'

"**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura speech"**

'**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura thought'**

(Clarification, fun fact or author's musing)

Anything bolded indicates emotion or extraneous content

A/N: I think somebody should give me an award for the frequency with which I update… I'm setting aside a good deal of exam studying time for this, so for the love of all things kawaii (cute), Read and Review. Oh and in case you missed it in the first chapter, all three genin are training with weights currently, something which it would be wise not to forget.

After an eventful day the team took their well deserved rest (Hinata slept in a separate form the rest, a clarification for the lecherous ones amongst you). Waking up at an early 6 am with eager thoughts of training, Naruto went downstairs to find, to his great chagrin, Lee and Gai already engaged in a heated thumb war.

"Yosh! Lee, together we shall train to beat Kakashi-san!" stated Gai enthusiastically

"Hai Gai-sensei!" replied the equally dedicated Lee

"Uhh I hope that you weren't indicating this when you mentioned training yesterday" remarked a disbelieving Naruto

"Trust in the robustness of youth Naruto! This is but supplementary training, the main content shall begin after Hinata has awoken and we consume breakfast" replied Gai, drooling at the image of the lovely Tsunami slaving over a hot stove for the benefit of his taste buds

"Ah I won Gai-sensei!" shouted a triumphant Lee

"Yosh! I will now do 500 handstand push-ups!" acquiesced Gai

"I too Gai-sensei shall undertake in this training!" replied an equally fervent Lee

"OHH LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"Excuse while I bang my head against this wall as endurance training…" sarcastically noted Naruto

"That's the spirit Naruto!" replied an ecstatic Gai

'Why do I even try?' thought Naruto

Realizing that Hinata was not yet awake, Naruto began to go up the stairs to check on her, and potentially wake her up. Coincidentally Hinata had just woken up and gotten dressed, and just as Naruto reached the top of the stairs Hinata turned the corner and bumped into him. This resulted in Naruto taking a trip back downstairs on his ass. This was the least of his problems however, as he lay sprawled on his back Hinata had managed to fall directly on top of him. The resulting position knocked Hinata's consciousness into oblivion, and she fainted with her face having taken on the colouration of a radish.

"Gai-sensei! I think Hinata-san was knocked out! Quickly get the bandages!" shouted an anxious Naruto

"Oh my, what was that noise" inquired Tsunami as she entered the room

"I bumped into Hinata-chan and we fell down the stairs, I think she was knocked out!" replied Naruto

"I think its okay Naruto-san, she just seems to have fainted, give her some room and she will come to" continued Tsunami

"Fainted but why?" asked Gai, Lee, and Naruto in unison

'Geez these three are thick, but I suppose that's for the best for now' thought the perceptive Tsunami

"Umm… she probably just got overexcited about your training today" replied the cunning Tsunami 'that's something that these guys can understand'

"It is heartening to see all of my dear students embracing the spirit of youth!" responded the now teary-eyed Gai

After warding off a concerned Naruto, Tsunami took Hinata into the kitchen to recover. Meanwhile he was forced to wait for Gai and Lee to stop blubbering over the "power of youth" and whatnot. After the team fully "recovered" they bid Tsunami goodbye as they made their way into the forest to begin their training.

The first order of business was Gai having Naruto produce a few clones to aid Tazuna in the construction of the bridge while his real self remained for technical training. As promised before, Gai began teaching his pupils the Goken style of taijutsu. Knowing that his form was the complete opposite of Hinata's Hyuuga family Juken (Strong Fist, versus Gentle Fist), he offered her alternative training with chakra control. However she declined, noting that its important for a shinobi to be rounded in their combat techniques, and that she wished to train with the rest of her team. An announcement that was met with much crying over "the wisdom of youth".

After instructing them on the basic stances and forms, Gai assigned his team a goal to strive for the rest of their training. He constructed a wooden combat dummy, composed of wooden logs collected through the use of Kawarimi (replacement jutsu), for each of them. In order to master the first level of the Goken they were given clear instructions to destroy their respective combat dummies by the end of the training session. The principle behind this as Gai explained, was to train taijutsu capable of cracking bones in a single strike, as power is the first step to mastery of the Goken.

After a few good hours of constant training, Gai stopped to check in on his students' progress. As he had expected none of them had destroyed their combat dummies, however they had managed to inflict considerable damage. The results of their training was reflected not just in their dummies, but also in the damage apparent on their hands and feet, both of which were bruised and worn. Still Gai was proud to note that his students hadn't given up, even the normally timid Hinata continued to beat at her wooden dummy.

'Naruto-kun will never notice me, and my father will never respect me if I don't train my hardest!' was the main thought running through her head as Hinata willed herself to continue

'If I can't break this stupid dummy how can I expect myself to be able to protect those who are dear to me, or become Hokage!' a line of thinking which helped Naruto push himself, despite his fatigue from the training and his usage of additional clones to batter the dummy

'Yosh! I will not let Gai-sensei down! I can't perform ninjutsu or genjutsu, so I must prove my mastery of taijutsu as a genius of hard work!' thought Lee, a recurring theme which had helped him graduate the Academy despite his disability

Knowing that training in excess could be damaging, Gai advised his students to stop for the day, but not before noting his satisfaction at the progress they had made.

"But Gai-sensei we didn't break our dummies like you told us was necessary before we finish training for the day" protested a confused Lee

"True, but if I gave you a goal that I knew you could achieve would you have pushed yourself as much as you have today?" responded Gai "Today's lesson was not just about taijutsu, but something that is far more important that any ninja technique, namely willpower"

"More important than techniques?" inquired Naruto

"Yes, the defining characteristic of a true shinobi is the will to succeed, some ninja have their abilities handed to them on a silver platter, call them geniuses if you will" instructed Gai, "However from what I know the three of you have worked all your lives to earn the respect of others, this willpower that you have grown will allow you to succeed where the talented fail"

"But how can willpower beat a genius sensei?" queried Hinata, who had all too much experience with defeat by a genius at the hands of her merciless sister Hanabi

"If a talented shinobi is met with somebody who they know is better than them, they may be inclined to bow their head in defeat. However a ninja who has struggled with adversity all their lives knows that their opponent is better than them, but fights to win anyways" continued Gai, "Perseverance in the face of adversity is a shinobi's most valued trait, and I am proud to note that you three have proven to me that you all possess this quality"

'This is the first time anybody has ever been proud of me…' realized Hinata

"Yosh! The spirit of youth runs strong in all three of you, but now it is time to rest, so that we may train with renewed vigour tomorrow!" recommended Gai

"Hai-sensei" was the weary yet gratified response given by the genin of Team 9

As they were walking back to Tazuna's house, Naruto suddenly faltered and fell face first into the dirt. After reassuring an extremely worried Hinata, Gai explained that his clones had just poofed out, and the exertions they experienced while constructing the bridge were now laden onto the already fatigued Naruto. Supporting his weight together, Lee and an extremely red Hinata carried him back. Waking up in time for dinner, Naruto ate like a man possessed, after which he quietly slipped out of the house to train. As night fell upon them, Hinata began to grow increasingly worried about him, and she too slipped out of the house, with the express purpose of finding her dear Naruto-kun.

Knowing Naruto as well as she did, the first place she checked was their previous training ground, where as expected she found Naruto and 2 clones battering away at the slowly splintering logs.

"Hah you weakling, tiring already? What kind of a ninja are you?" shouted one of the clones

"You want to become Hokage, but at the rate you are going Sasuke will beat you to it!" berated another clone

"Yeah we will see who becomes what! I promised myself I would break this pile of wood before this day is done, and I never go back on my word! That's my nindo (way of the ninja)! Retorted the real Naruto

'Naruto-kun… you are always trying your hardest, even though everybody seems to think you will never succeed' thought Hinata as she watched, hidden in the underbrush 'I too will strive to prove everybody wrong, I cannot give in to the disappointment of others, and I will never go back on my word, that is my nindo!'

She continued to watch him pound the dummy, until after an hour she got up to leave for their current residence. But just as she began walking away she heard a loud splintering sound coupled with a triumphant shout of "Yatta!". Turning around she saw the broken remains of the dummy, and a gratified Naruto lying on the ground seemingly unable to get up. Suddenly painfully aware of the fact that she had just been spying on her beloved for the past hour, she rushed home, internally embarrassed and blushing.

'You did it Naruto, you always do…' were her parting thoughts before leaving him to his rightfully earned rest.


	5. Chapter 5, A Peaceful Interlude

**Author: **R. Anthony Roth

**Pairing(s): **Naruhina & potentially others

**Language: **Canadian English

"Speech"

'Thought'

"**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura speech"**

'**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura thought'**

(Clarification, fun fact or author's musing)

Anything bolded indicates emotion or extraneous content

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but between work and assorted summer plans, I haven't had oodles of spare time, still I'll try my hardest to keep updates reasonably regular! (Just send me along a nice "Ganbatte Anthony-san!"). Also due to delays chptrs 2-5 have yet to go through my excellent beta reader, so feel free to re-read em at a later date after they have been spruced up.

Back in the forest, morning had just begun to rise, however this didn't dissuade Naruto from continuing to sleep, an action rendered understandable after his previous night's exertions. Little did he know that while he remained in a peaceful slumber a pair of eyes, neither malignant nor friendly, was watching him.

She was wearing a simple flower-patterned komon (type of kimono) and had her long black hair hanging loose around her shoulders. After Zabuza's skirmish with Team 9, she had been told to run surveillance on the blond kid who had managed to surprise him, despite the expected gap in skill level for a renowned jounin, and a seemingly green genin. From what she had seen since the previous day she knew that this "Naruto" possessed no great skill or technique, other than his usage of the jounin level kage bunshin no jutsu and his vast chakra reserves, he was for all intrinsic purposes quite average. However there was something about him… while watching him train into the night, she herself felt invigorated by his presence. The sheer spirit he put towards accomplishing his goal was exceptional for someone his age, as most kids, even ninja, were prone to giving up or settling with what had been done rather than wishing to do more.

Seeing him lying prone on the ground reminded her of the days she had spent training with Zabuza. He had never forced her to train herself to the ground, but she had done so willingly, this same attitude she found mirrored in Naruto, a kindred spirit in a sense. Both had a very strong reason for wanting to grow stronger, for Haku it was to be able to protect and aid Zabuza. Though as for Naruto, his motives remained a complete mystery to her, and Haku was intrinsically a rather curious girl.

'This boy seems quite interesting, and Zabuza did tell me to run reconnaissance…' Haku mentally excused herself before leaving her place of concealment to check on the sleeping boy.

Deciding that he had rested enough, Haku approached his slumbering form with the intent to awaken him gently. However distracted as she was, she failed to notice an errant tree root, this mistake would prove to cost her dearly. As she passed the root her sandal caught it and she was deprived of her balance as she came tumbling down –right on top of a sleeping Naruto.

This sudden impact brought Naruto into the conscious world (interrupting a rather pleasant dream about "Ramen World"), where he found his face inches from Haku's dazed countenance.

'Wow, this dream keeps getting better! This onee-chan is even prettier than Sakura! But wait… my arms and legs are aching, and you don't feel pain in dreams… KUSO!' Naruto began to instinctively flinch as he realized that a girl prettier than Sakura must hit harder than her too, and being within inches of Sakura was generally enough to warrant a K.O. punch.

Embarrassed over the accidental intimacy of the situation Haku extricated herself from Naruto and quietly began to dust herself off while hiding her reddening countenance.

After realizing that he had been given a reprieve Naruto began stumbling over himself in an attempt to apologize (regardless of why he should be the one apologising), lest this mysterious lady withdraw her apparent mercy.

"Gomenasai onee-san, I shouldn't have been sleeping in the middle of a forest where an innocent lady such as yourself might trip over me. Please excuse my rude forwardness!" Naruto expiated quite profusely.

Haku began to giggle as she watched the mortified Naruto continue to seek penance for something he had no fault in at all. She figured he had problems with moody females back in Konoha, though his female teammate hardly seemed like the sort to fall into that category.

"Is something funny onee-san?" questioned Naruto while checking to see if an errant booger was leaking out of his nose.

"Your cute attempts at apologizing are quite funny, I was to blame in this incident not you, after all a sleeping person cannot be blamed for an accident" replied Haku "speaking of which sleepyhead, do you happen to have a name?"

"Hai! Uzumaki Naruto at your service onee-san, and if I may be so rude as to ask what your name is?" Naruto answered, still using formal speech as he suspected that the situation might still turn dangerous for him.

"I go by Haku, it's a pleasure to meet you Naruto-san. If I may ask, what brought you out here in the middle of a forest, and I'm curious about that headband you are wearing."

"Actually I'm a ninja from the Fire Country here on an important mission, and I was training last night, so I guess I accidentally fell asleep here"

"Ohh a ninja! Wow that sounds very cool, though you should be careful, sleeping in a forest can be quite dangerous, are you here by yourself?"

"No my teammates are here as well, speaking of whom I should probably get back to them so they don't worry. In addition, what brings a pretty lady like you out here in the forest, like you said its quite dangerous."

Haku paused for a moment, mentall kicking herself for not preparing a reasonable cover story. Fortunately Naruto seemed like a pretty trusting person, after all he had told a random person about being on a ninja mission, a detail normally left secret by most ninja.

"Ahh…. I'm… birdwatching! Yeah there are some very interesting birds in this part of the forest that I was looking for…" replied Haku as she spoke the first thing that came to mind.

"Well you must be really skilled at finding birds, because I haven't seen a single one since I began training, although I wasn't really paying attention to that sort of thing" responded Naruto

"Skilled yeah that's it… Well anyways enough about boring old me, you should probably get back like you said, I don't want to keep you."

"Its ok Haku-san" said Naruto as he preformed the ram seal and used his signature jutsu. A clone popped into existence and immediately Naruto sent it running to Tsunami's house with the intent of relating his location to the rest of his team.

"Wow was that a ninja jutsu? You must be very skilled yourself, creating copies like that!" Haku commented while considering the implications of what had just occurred.

"Ohh just one? Naw that's nothing, watch and be amazed!" boasted Naruto

Haku watched on in amazement as approximately 30 Naruto clones appeared and accompanied them. The kage bunshins remained completely intact and functional for a good while before vanishing in puffs of smoke.

'This kid can use a jounin level jutsu with such ease, and his clones are durable enough to be used for travelling reasonably long distances. This would indicate either an extremely high level of technical skill, or an immense amount of chakra, considering his age I hardly expect the former, though the latter hardly seems plausible either.' Pondered Haku

The main thing that continued to bother Haku as they strolled through the forest, supposedly looking for birds, was that she couldn't attribute his chakra levels to any logical source. He was far too young to have undergone chakra training of a level sufficient enough to support what she had seen. The next possibility was a bloodline, but she had never heard of such a one, and never came across the Uzumaki name, this was saying something, as Haku was a well-traveled ninja. Of course it could be a village secret, but that she doubted as most advanced bloodline users belonging to important clans were cocky and overbearing (cough Neji/Sasuke cough), whereas Naruto was simple but outgoing and amusing in a cute sort of way. Well she would have to discuss the subject with Zabuza, he was certainly more experienced than herself and might have an idea as to the truth behind the strangely enigmatic Naruto. With this thought in mind Haku politely bid farewell to Naruto, and began her trek back to Zabuza's base camp.

At the departure of his new friend Naruto quickly ran back to Tsunami's house to rendezvous with his team, and get some breakfast. When he arrived a flustered Hinata greeted him at the door. Lee and Gai had gone out to embrace their youth, and Tsunami and family were off doing shopping, leaving Hinata alone with Naruto, the thought of which strained her composure to the utmost extent. As she contemplated this concept, Naruto devoured the breakfast prepared by her that she had specially reserved for him, in anticipation of his pending arrival.

"Wow this ramen is great! Normally Iruka would scold me for having ramen for breakfast, you're the best Hinata-chan!" said Naruto between mouthfuls of ramen

'Naruto called me Hinata-chan! chan……chan……….chan……………' were the last thoughts that passed through her head before Hinata lost the fight with consciousness

Naruto was able to catch Hinata as her body slowly slumped, but he was left in a confused position. In previous situations Naruto realized that he was unable to wake her when she fainted, and now nobody else was there to do the job.

'Why did she faint? Normally on the rare occasion that I faint its because of exertion, but Hinata wasn't training this morning… Hmm what was she doing when she fainted? Well I thanked her for the ramen, and then she blacked out… and she was looking a bit feverish… AH HAH THAT'S IT!'

Naruto's mental machinations had provided him with an interesting conclusion, Hinata had woken up feeling sick, and cooking the ramen over the hot stove had given her a fever. With this in mind Naruto set himself to the task of providing her with the care associated with healing the sick. Thus when she finally awoke she was covered in her futon with a wet cloth over her forehead and a bowl of soup beside her. Further inspection of the room revealed Naruto dozing off in the corner, looking rather exhausted.

'What happened… ahh I fainted again I guess, but why am I in a futon…? Wait… Naruto must have thought I was sick, after all he always mistakes my habitual blushing for feverishness… But if I'm in my futon that means I'm upstairs… but I fainted downstairs. Which means… eep!' Hinata's train of thought came to an abrupt stop when a sudden realization hit her, Naruto must have carried her upstairs, and tucked her in.

This almost sent Hinata back into a dead faint, but she persevered through it, and simply lay there, blushing her body temperature up a few degrees. Realizing that she would actually have a fever if she stayed there, Hinata slowly crept out from under the covers, careful as to not disturb the snoozing Naruto. Just as she was edging past Naruto, she heard him mutter a sleepy "Oi Hinata!" and she turned around to see him gazing drowsily at her.

"You better already? If you are feeling sick you should tell me, if disregarded sickness can be more deadly than enemy shinobi! Naruto began to mildly berate her.

Stuttering past her embarrassment, Hinata managed to reply, "N-n-naruto-kun I'm f-f-fine really…"

"So then why are you talking so weakly, and why are you so red, really you should get some rest so that you can defend Tazuna properly" continued Naruto sceptically

Realizing that half the truth would not be enough to get past Naruto, Hinata exercised her craftier side, "Ahh I was red downstairs because of the steam from the stove, and now these covers are stifling me, I am still wearing my jacket you know…"

Hinata's logical response and Naruto's naturally trusting nature won through his scepticism, and his mildly irate attitude was replaced with an apologetic tone, "Gomen Hinata-chan! I thought you were sick… and well I guess I made it worse eh? Geez I always mess up with this sort of stuff! Guess I'd better be going now…"

"Wait! Naruto umm…." Hinata managed to call after him

"Eh?" Naruto replied as he turned around

"Ano… if uhh I'm sick I will be sure to tell you Naruto-kun" Hinata stuttered out

"Anytime Hinata-chan, I'll always be there for you if you need me!" Naruto replied with his usual bravado

This statement, whose meaning was lost on the rather clueless Naruto, delivered a full serving of unintended romance to Hinata. Apparently this was the last straw as it caused Hinata to slump to the floor in a dead faint. However, ironically Naruto had already left the room and failed to notice her graceful performance. So as Naruto sauntered away thinking about what kind of ramen he wanted to eat next, Hinata was lost in dreams of her Naruto-kun, the contents of which would be unfit for a T-rated story (though it would make great filler!).


	6. Chapter 6, Looming Conflict

**Author: **R. Anthony Roth

**Pairing(s): **Naruhina & potentially others

**Language: **Canadian English

"Speech"

'Thought'

"**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura speech"**

'**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura thought'**

(Clarification, fun fact or author's musing)

Anything bolded indicates emotion or extraneous content

A/N: Yes I know its been like 5 months or so since I last updated, my apologies but I had a bout of laziness/business. Have no fear however, as I will continue to update as regularly as possible, this fanfic is gonna be one of those huge timeless epics, so the show will go on! For all you Celestial Gate fans out there, its coming soon, but don't expect overpowering, as I have already stated my views on that subject.

-----------------------------------------In Zabuza's Crib---------------------------------------------

After completing her reconnaissance mission, Haku returned to Zabuza to report her findings and potentially garner some information over Naruto's strange chakra capacity. When she arrived she found him conversing with the one who hired them, the altogether distasteful Gateau, though as an S-class wanted criminal Zabuza hardly had the luxury of choosing whom he worked for.

"Zabuza-san I have returned from my mission and with your permission I will begin my report."

"Heh Heh Heh! Sending a little girl to do your work for you eh Zabuza? What happened to the feared Demon of The Mist?" taunted Gateau

"She is a perfectly capable shinobi, and at least I have a reputation, look who's talking cake boy…" Zabuza responded nonchalantly

"Why you insolent whelp!" shouted an enraged Gateau as he motioned for his bodyguards

At the sight of this Haku reacted instantly, suddenly appearing at Gateau's side with a senbon in hand, "Touch him and die a thousand painful deaths" noted Haku coolly as she held the sharpened point at his neck.

Caught off guard by her speed, Gateau could do little except back down, "Cocky now eh? Well you had better complete your mission, otherwise you would do well to watch your back for the hunter-nins of your village!" he responded haughtily before leaving the room.

"Haku you know defending myself from such a man is no more than trifle, and although I despise this wretch of a man, angering him will do us no benefit" calmly stated Zabuza after Gateau had exited the room

"Gomen Zabuza-san, I shall not act so rashly again" conceded Haku

"Heh! The funny thing is, if you had not acted when you did I might have done something far more short-sighted" Laughed Zabuza "Anyways down to business, you may deliver your report"

Thus Haku provided a detail report of her encounter with Naruto, and the visual information she had been able to gather when spying on the other Konoha ninjas. She carefully glossed over her accidental face to face meeting with Naruto, as even now it still brought a faint red tinge to her cheeks. It had been the closest she had ever gotten to a boy, and she was still unsure what to make of the entire experience, thus she kept it to herself. Finishing up her report, she then proceeded to bring up her puzzlement over Naruto's strange capacity for chakra, a line of thought that had been tumbling around in her mind ever since she came to realize it.

"Zabuza-san, after studying Naruto I have come to a troubling enigma, how can one who is so young have such a massive chakra capacity, it is easily at jounin level and no level of training can explain it…" queried Haku "I have never heard of an Uzumaki clan, or any such kekke genkai, perhaps you would know of an answer to this enigma?

Upon hearing the question, Zabuza considered it very carefully, it was true that the clan name was unknown to him and so would be such a bloodline, and Konoha had never been the type to hide their clans (cough Uchiha/Hyuuga cough). There was however one idea that came to him as he considered the circumstances.

"Haku what would you estimate the boy's age to be?" asked Zabuza

"Around 12 or 13 I'd say, a year younger than me at the most" Haku replied

"Hmm yes that would be about right… Any odd physical characteristics he possesses?" furthered Zabuza

"Well nothing really…Wait! He did have whisker like marks along his cheeks, like some sort of cat or fox. Why is that of importance, do you know him specifically?" replied Haku, still somewhat unsure of where this line of questioning was leading

"Personally no, this is the first time I have met him but I do know of him, though anybody conscious of current events 12 years ago would too." Zabuza answered mysteriously

"Is he a ninja of great power or skill, should we be worried Zabuza-san?" asked Haku somewhat sceptically as she wondered if such a person could be the Naruto she had met

"Great skill, probably not. Great power, sealed but most assuredly present. Worthy of caution, most definitely." Zabuza continued rather vaguely

"Sealed…?" Haku asked curiously

"You know of the tailed-bijuu correct?" responded Zabuza with another question

"Creatures of chaos, each with a unique number of tails numbering from 1 to 9, many of the countries have encountered them" noted Haku in a matter-of-fact tone

"Well 12 years ago the greatest of the bijuu entered The Land of Fire, Kyuubi no Youko a monster of no equal" began Zabuza, "No weapon could pierce its hide, even the most powerful of jutsu failed to do anything more than slow its rampage. Each sweep of one of its tails would create a cyclone, its kitsune magic burned downed forests and villages alike, and its mere footfalls caused seismic devastation."

"But Fire Country is prosperous and Konoha remains a prominent shinobi village, so if jutsu and weapons could not stop it, then how was it vanquished?" wondered a puzzled but intrigued Haku

"The Yondaime Hokage… The Yellow Flash of Konoha, the most feared shinobi of his time, he battled head to head with the monster at the gates of Konohagakure. However even he was unable to stop it through conventional methods, so he resorted to an ancient forbidden jutsu known only to the Hokages of Konoha." Furthered Zabuza

"…" Haku was held speechless by the gripping tale

"The outcome was grim, though the village had been saved it had come at a price, the technique had used the life of the Yondaime as a bargaining chip with a Shinigami, who in return sealed the great demon into the body of a child." Finished Zabuza

"Naruto…" whispered Haku in amazement

"So it would seem… Jinchurikki like Naruto generally have special traits, his seeming to be access to a voluminous chakra reserve. Though here is where the caution comes in." warned Zabuza "Should he deplete his chakra by great necessity, or should he go through intense physical or emotional duress, there stands a chance that he will unconsciously draw on the kyuubi's youkai"

"How would that have an effect on us should we confront it?" asked Haku, preparing for the worst

"From what little I have seen and heard of Jinchurikki, I know that their youkai is powerful and dangerous to both the user and their opponent. What is to be expected from the most destructive of the bijuu I cannot say, but you should you be faced with such a powerful youkai you will run!" ordered Zabuza

"But Zabuza-san!" Protested Haku

"We cannot predict what the boy is capable of when filled with the power of such a chaotic demon, and should the seal weaken and break, all the shinobi nations will be in danger! For the good of humanity we must avoid such an outcome even if it cost us our mission." Proselytised Zabuza

"Hai, I shall abide by your orders." Haku conceded

"Well the we'd best begin planning our strike on the bridge builder, Gateau is getting impatient and I'd rather not end up on the run again" Zabuza began

Thus they began to strategize, taking into account the potential dangers of Naruto, and working to accommodate what Haku had learned during her reconnaissance mission, planning their attack 3 days from then. Four opponents, a taijutsu oriented sensei jounin, the Kyuubi container Naruto, a Byakugan user, and a taijutsu focused genin. Their jounin sensei was the clearest danger and would have to be dealt with immediately; his taijutsu forms belied superb technique, and the full extent of his abilities remained a mystery. The Byakugan user could prove troublesome, as Zabuza knew his mist would do naught to conceal him from her piercing gaze, potentially inhibiting his "Silent Assassination" style of combat. Naruto would have to be subdued efficiently lest the Kyuubi's youkai be released, and the other genin seemed harmless enough.

Mulling over the gathered analysis, Zabuza came up with a strategy worthy of the "Demon of the Hidden Mist". Haku would isolate Naruto and the Hyuuga, her superior speed and capability as a ranged attacker would nullify the Hyuuga style of combat, and her senbon posed the best chance of subduing Naruto. Zabuza would then face off against the other two, attacking from the mist and harassing the helpless genin to create openings in the jounin's defences. Though outnumbered, Haku and Zabuza would be in their element, a fact which could easily spell the defeat of Team 9.

-----------------------Meanwhile in a conveniently located forest clearing----------------------

Team 9 was called together by their exuberant sensei to continue their training, in light of the fact that the bridge was nearing completion, which meant the enemy attack was not far off either.

"I see you all took joy in the completion of your previous training task, no doubt fuelled by the burning passion of your youthful spirits!" exclaimed Gai in his usual cheesy tone

"Hai sensei! Each hit stirred my soul to passion" Lee replied (equally cheesily)

"Yeah… real fun…." Mumbled Hinata and Naruto in unison as they massaged their aching hands

"Well then, while I advise to continue such training in the future, for now I will have each of focus on a different challenge. I know this may be hard for your burning hearts, but pace yourself now, after all we do need to be in condition for the fight"

'Yatta!' thought Team 9 (excluding Lee)

"Each of you will focus on an individual training task tailored to your strengths and weaknesses. Naruto, you will be practicing chakra control by climbing trees." Began Gai

"Trees…?" asked Naruto quite sceptically

"Yes, with the slight condition that you do so using only the soles of your feet, do so by concentrating your chakra into your feet to connect with the chakra of the tree, thus allowing you to stick to it."

"Heh, channelling chakra is easy, this is gonna be a cinch"

"While your youthful confidence is inspiring, I caution you to limit how much chakra you channel, it is a difficult task to control chakra so precisely, too much or too little will give poor results"

"Well then I guess you get to be amazed when you see me swinging on vines using my feet" boasted Naruto

'Swinging from vines… I will definitely add that to my training regiment, except I shall do it with only 2 toes, Kakashi will never expect a reversed swinging attack from above!!' thought Gai, making a mental note

---------------------------------------Back in Konoha-----------------------------------------------

In the middle of training with his team, Kakashi's body involuntarily spasmed, and a chill travelled up his spine. In response to which he immediately scanned his surroundings, expecting an attack.

"What's wrong sensei?" asked Sakura

"Nothing… I just get the feeling that something, or someone, is going to ruin a good day for me in the near future"

'That was oddly specific…' thought Sakura

----------------------------Returning to The Clearing of Convenience----------------------------

"I look forward to the results of the burning springtime of your youth, you may begin now, and I would suggest the trees in our previous clearing, as they are quite tall." responded Gai

This last statement was made to empty space, as Naruto had already left to begin his training. The thought of which brought tears to Gai's eye as he contemplated the beauty of youth's fiery devotion. After a few minutes of which he brought out a log, which seemed to be carefully hollowed out.

"Hinata this device is for you, contained within is a glass vial filled with a tiny amount of purified chakra. Your task is to attack the log using your family's Jyukken strikes, the goal of which is to hit the small chakra orb which will consequently emit a chiming sound." Gai announced

"But sensei, any genin could hit the orb by forcing enough chakra into the log…" Hinata noted

"Ahh but that would break the glass vial as well, the key here is balance and form, produce enough chakra to penetrate the log, but control it enough not to break the glass. Additionally, be warned that even a controlled burst can break the glass if it doesn't not hit the orb dead on."

"That sounds difficult sensei, but I will try my best…" replied the now apprehensive Hinata

"In essence this exercise has the same principal as Naruto's, however this one also emphasizes shaping, and is more applicable to your combat style. Approach the task with caution, but don't worry I have replacements should you accidentally break the vial"

'I can do this! I don't want to let Naruto-kun down, so I gotta do my best!" thought Hinata as she went off to find a secluded place to practice

"Now Lee, it is just you and I, which is perfect as we will be beginning special taijutsu training."

"YOSH SENSEI!" shouted Lee who was clearly excited at the prospect of special training

So the plot is heating up as both sides ready themselves for the impending final battle!


	7. Chapter 7, Final Preparation

Author: R

**Author: **R. Anthony Roth

**Pairing(s): **Naruhina & potentially others

**Language: **Canadian English

"Speech"

'Thought'

"**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura speech"**

'**Kyuubi/Inner Sakura thought'**

(Clarification, fun fact or author's musing)

Anything bolded indicates emotion or extraneous content

A/N: Hey everybody! This chapter was kinda awkward to do, so hard to do a training session without sounding cheesy and unoriginal, that and school were the reasons this came so late. However as summer is coming up I should have plenty of free time to devote to this fanfic, look forward to it (believe it)! Ohh and also I need a beta-reader, so if ur registered and u feel like giving it a shot, give me a holler.

--Another Nameless Yet Convenient Clearing--

"Well looks like we are here! TIME FOR TRAINING!!" bellowed Gai

"Yosh sensei! I shall match, nay… OUTDO YOUR ENTHUSIASM!" responded Lee with equal fervour

"Ahh it brings light into my heart to see the spirit of youth, reminds me of my younger days!" said Gai with a teary far-away look in his eye

"You're younger days sensei!? The power of youth still burns in you too! Together we shall embrace the same fiery spirit! said Lee, he too beginning to tear

"Lee…."

"Gai-sensei…"

"LEE"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

Just as they began crying about the power of youth in each others arms, Tsunami walked into the clearing with a basket carrying herbs.

"I err… hope I'm not interrupting anything…" began Tsunami quite cautiously

"Ah no, we were just mesmerised by the brilliant flame of youth! Care to join us?" gushed Gai

"…No no, its fine, besides I think I see the brilliant flame of youth burning a kilometre over in that direction, so I guess I'll go check that one out…" Tsunami responded hurriedly as she began her escape

"Ahh youth, but Lee we must not get distracted! You see for most genin chakra control exercise are a good method for building reserves and fortifying jutsu usage, however this is not suitable for you." continued Gai

"Hai sensei, my inability to mold chakra renders such practice useless, and near impossible" responded Lee, depression beginning to tinge his voice

"Yes, a ninja who cannot use chakra is like a dulled blade!" noted Gai

"Hai…" agreed Lee, further saddened by his recurring recognition as a failure.

"However! You may not be able to mold chakra, but you most certainly can still use it! You see, chakra is a necessary element of all the vital systems of the human body, in fact it controls these very systems" The Hyuuga family techniques use chakra to attack the vitals, healing jutsu use chakra to restore cells by tapping into the vital chakra network, everyone has that same system. Even you who cannot mold chakra still has the same fundamental network, and that is why there is still a way for you to access your chakra." lectured Gai

"Really!?"

"Hai, part of this chakra system is a series of gates that control the chakra output of the body's cells, without them the vital systems would risk burning out through overexertion. It is possible to access the body's chakra by releasing this gates, endowing one with enhanced physical abilities."

"Amazing sensei!" noted Lee as he pulled out his trusty notepad

"But, power comes at a price, the gates are meant as limiters, hence releasing them can cause extensive damage to the body. Remember, this technique isn't tapping into chakra the way using a jutsu does, this instead is directly accessing vital chakra, without which the body cannot function. In light of your natural handicap, and out of respect for you wish to overcome your boundaries I will teach you how to master this feat… under a single caveat."

"Hai-sensei I am willing!"

"You must promise to use this power only to protect people, use it for those you care about, use it to defend what you believe is right. If taken lightly, this power can not only destroy the shinobi who uses it, but also risk the lives of those around them, hence it is to be reserved for only the direst circumstances!"

"Yosh sensei, you have my word as a shinobi of hard work!"

"Good, that is enough for me. So now we should begin, you see unlike jutsu, opening the Eight Gates (Hachimon) doesn't require seals or channelling power. Rather, it is simply a matter of internal discipline and focus, the true mastery of mind over body. The first step is to empty your mind of all distraction, a necessary part of drawing the focus necessary for opening the 1st gate (Gate of Opening)."

"Hai sensei, how must I do that?"

"Close your eyes and imagine a lone candle, think of that candle until nothing else exists in your mind, dim the flame of the candle until it slowly dies. When all is nothing you will know if you have achieved true emptiness."

With those instructions in mind, Lee began meditating in the quiet clearing while Gai went off to check on his other students. First he decided to visit Hinata, it was obvious that she had major confidence issues with regards to anything related to her bloodline. Naruto on the other hand he wasn't really concerned about, he would likely keep on trying to climb trees until his shoes wore away.

--Hinata's Nameless Convenient Clearing--

'Its no use! My chakra can't even penetrate the log fully, I guess I really am hopeless! I wonder how Naruto-kun is doing…" thought Hinata as she attempted to hit the chakra orb once again

Just as she was lost between her thoughts of Naruto and her own failure as a ninja, even moreso as a Hyuuga heir, Gai arrived in a whirl of leaves and a flash of teeth

"Hinata-san! How goes your training, have the chimes of youth begun to ring out?"

"Ano… I can see the target, but I just can't seem to reach it…" whispered Hinata "I guess I'm just not strong enough"

"Perhaps, a stronger burst would penetrate, but it would also likely shatter the chakra container. Control and finesses are your strong points, use them!" offered Gai, before leaving as quickly as he had arrived.

Hinata stopped and took some time to consider the problem, how to penetrate the log without expending more power. As she considered Gai's advice concerning control, it hit her, if a nail isn't penetrating a surface you probably need a sharper nail, and sharper means a smaller point, exerting the same pressure in a more effective way. If she could mould the same amount of chakra into a smaller and denser point she could probably penetrate the log, in addition unlike an increase in power, the change of shape would reduce the chance of breaking the container. So with a new goal in mind, Hinata began experimenting with increasing her control. Though it wasn't easy, it certainly seemed less futile than her previous attempts.

'Perhaps I can overcome what I lack in strength with better technique' thought Hinata optimistically, a first for a person who had spent most of her life doubting herself.

--Gah, how many clearings are there in this forest!?--

'Dammit! I just can't get this, every time I start to get somewhere the stupid tree starts splintering.' Naruto thought to himself, 'I guess its that overdoing it that Gai-sensei warned me about, but honestly I'm not putting that much chakra into it…'

Meanwhile as Naruto lay there straining his brain for a way to successfully complete his task, Gai noted his progress without intervening.

'Finesse may not be his strong point, but he is going to need it if he ever wants to perform any complex jutsu' noted Gai mentally, 'Considering the nature of his inhabitant, his task might just be the toughest of the three, yet it is something he must overcome himself if he wishes to truly progress as a ninja.'

After some more thought Naruto restarted his tree climbing attempts, and although each attempt brought some improvement, he couldn't help but be frustrated.

'Why can't I control my chakra, no matter how little I try to channel it always comes out so abruptly, its gotta be that rotten Kyubbi, always ruining things for me!' thought an extremely consternated Naruto, 'Well self pity hasn't ever gotten me anywhere before, though I can't think of anything myself… Wait a sec! I can go ask Hinata-chan, shes pretty good with chakra, maybe she know something!'

--Back at Hinata's Clearing--

'Yes! Almost there...'

After her previous revelation Hinata had steadily sharpened her chakra until she was able to penetrate the log. Elongating the pulse enough to reach the vial was still a work in progress, but she could tell that success wasn't as far away as it usually seemed to be.

'This is really tiring… but I can't falter! Naruto-kun has probably already climbed the tallest tree, so I cannot give up.' Thought Hinata

"Hiya Hinata-chan! Could ya show me how to climb a tree?" said a cheery voice from behind Hinata

After falling forward in a head on face-plant, she recovered enough to respond to the sudden appearance of her dear Naruto-kun.

"Ano… didn't Gai-sensei already explain? I c-c-could do so again if you want…"

"Naw, its just that the tree keeps cracking underneath my feet, and I thought that since you are really smart you could help me figure out how to improve."

'Naruto-kun thinks I'm smart…' Hinata thought elatedly as she blushed profusely

"Err Hinata you look pretty red, if you are too tired from your training I can just go figure it out myself"

"Ahh… no wait! I'm fine Naruto-kun, I think the reason why you are being repelled is that you aren't matching the chakra of the tree itself"

"Err, how exactly can I do that? I can't see chakra like you can Hinata-chan"

"Its not seeing so much as feeling, if you can feel the pulse of the vital chakra of the tree you can match that pulse with your own. Just try putting your hand on the tree, and focus on feeling that pulse."

Despite a bit of confusion, Naruto did as Hinata had suggested, putting his hand on the nearest trunk, he prodded with his chakra until he felt a faint feeling. Like the ebb and flow of the tides, there was a distinct pattern to the flow of chakra through the tree, and gradually he began to synch his own chakra flow to that of the tree.

"Oi Hinata-chan,I think I'm doing it, my hands feel like they are glued to the tree!"

"I knew you could do it Naruto-kun" beamed Hinata happily, "However you need to do that same thing except with your feet."

"Kuso, that's gonna be a pain."

"Ano… it might be a bit painful but you could try it barefoot, it will help you feel the flow of chakra more easily."

"Honto Arigato Hinata-chan! I'll try just that now, see ya later and good luck with your own training!" were Naruto's parting words as he returned to his own isolation.

'Good luck Naruto-kun! I'm sure you will succeed' thought Hinata before continuing with her own obstacle.

--A Few Hours Later--

As the sun was beginning to set, Gai retrieved his students from their respective training areas. After they had all gathered he asked each of them to evaluate their own individual progress. After all, the surest way to lose a fight is to not understand your own capabilities, and measuring oneself objectively is a tough but valuable skill.

"Lee I'd like you to begin first, then Naruto, and lastly Hinata"

"Hai sensei, I could not find the emptiness you described but I shall continue putting the diligence of youth into the task." Replied Lee

"Good, but for now rest yourself, the fires of youth should drive you, but they must always be tempered by patience" Gai cautioned

"Ahh sensei! Such wisdom-" effused Lee before being interrupted

"Err moving on then…" Naruto interjected in an attempt to save himself and Hinata from another display of 'youthful passion'.

"Ahh Naruto, Did you conquer the tree with your display of youthful vigour?" queried Gai

"Well it took a while, but I did it! Though if it weren't for Hinata-chan I doubt I would have even made it halfway up" replied Naruto

"I-t-t w-w-was nothing Naruto-kun" Hinata quietly whispered while blushing profusely

"So beautiful to see such passionate teamwork, and how did your own activities fare?" Gai prompted

"Gai-sensei I did manage to get the vial to chime, however I'm not good enough to do it successfully on every try" replied Hinata

"Good, remember that what is most important is to make progress, mastery is a gradual thing. I'm proud of all three of you, and for now we should all get some rest." Gai advised "The bridge is nearing completion, and I have a feeling that those rogue shinobi we encountered will return for a second try soon."

A/N: The big battle(s) is/are coming up, so look forward to next chapter even if this one was a bit slow.


	8. Chapter 8, An Icy Confrontation

tA/N: Its baaaatttle time! Well anyway, as usual I hope you all enjoy this chapter, also I have foregone my whole text description at the beginning of each chapter cuz its unnecessary by the time you have read this far (though it gives the word count a boost). Ahh yes, and I'm still looking for a beta reader, preferably someone who is willing to retroactively look over my previous chapters as well, if you wish to volunteer, or you know somebody who would be interested, please message me.

--------------------------------The As of Yet Unnamed Bridge-----------------------------------

It was a bright and sunny morning as Team Gai set out for another day of guard duty on the bridge. The few workers who stayed to complete the bridge and Tazuna himself were all in good spirits, the bridge was almost done and they seemed to be in the clear. Despite this, the Konoha shinobi remained very much on edge; they knew that a shinobi on a mission wouldn't give up that easily.

"Ohayo Tazuna-san, how much longer do you expect before the bridge is finished?" asked Gai

"Probably within the week, very soon these islands shall be freed from Gateau's oppressive grip!" replied a jubilant Tazuna

'One week… at this rate I wouldn't be surprised if Zabuza attacked today' thought Gai

"Oi sensei! How much longer do we have to watch this stinky old man?" shouted Naruto from a distance away

"Watch it kid! You're lucky I'm in such a good mood today, or I'd rearrange your face so that the only thing you would be able to smell is the inside of your own ass!" Tazuna bellowed back

"Bring it you –" began Naruto before being cut off

"As much as we all enjoy your youthful spirit, you need to be on guard Naruto." lectured Gai "You know as well as I do that Zabuza is going to be back, and this time he won't be leaving without a real fight"

"Yeah yeah, I'm ready sensei, but I still wanna kick that old man's butt!" replied Naruto

"Why you little—" began Tazuna before being cut off by the yells of an approaching villager

"Tsunami-san has been kidnapped! Some ninja wearing a mask captured her, and he threatened to kill her!" gasped out the villager in a panicked voice

"Not Tsunami, she is all I have left! You guys have to do something" cried a desperate Tazuna

"Yosh! I will stay here and—" began Gai before being interrupted by the sight of Naruto already running full tilt back towards the village

"Ahh youth… Still we need to protect Tazuna, Hinata go back up Naruto, it looks like Lee-kun and I will have to stick here." ordered Gai "But be careful! That masked ninja is likely the one who threw those senbon last time, and such accuracy would not be uncommon for a ninja of chuunin level or higher."

"Hai Sensei!" responded Hinata before heading after Naruto 'Naruto-kun… Please be careful' (that was a thought, in case you didn't notice the quote marks)

As Hinata and Naruto's figures faded into the distance, Gai readied himself. It wasn't hard to figure out that Zabuza intended to split them up, and Gai wasn't sure if he was more worried about their upcoming battle, or the challenge that Hinata and Naruto would soon face. The best training in existence is real combat experience, that is, if you manage to live long enough to reap the benefits. Just as these thoughts were flitting through Gai's mind a mysterious fog began to creep over the bridge, enveloping them all in a murky grey haze.

"Lee-kun keep close to Tazuna-san! Remember that our mission is his safety, and winning this will mean nothing if he is killed!" ordered Gai as he sensed the danger they would soon find within the fog.

"Yosh Gai-sensei! Even if this fog blinds me, I will let the burning flame of youth guide my hand." Replied Lee, excited at the chance to test his training, but still nervous about the thought of facing a jounin.

"Hmmm, so we meet again! Last time I will admit that I underestimated you, but now its different." Came a disembodied voice from the fog "You're in my domain now, and I have no doubt that Haku will make short work of your pupils."

"I wouldn't count your chickens before they hatch. I have faith in my students, they won't go down that easily!" replied Gai as he readied himself

'Trash talk is all well and good, but he didn't have to use such a corny saying!' thought Zabuza 'What's next, puns?'

-------------------------------------------Naruto & Hinata--------------------------------------------

'Kuso! Tsunami-san housed us and cooked for, hell I think she is the first person to cook for me besides Teuchi-san (from Ichiraku Ramen)' thought Naruto as he raced towards the village 'That shinobi is gonna pay dearly if he's harmed her at all'

Not too far behind, Hinata was desperately attempting to catch up to Naruto whose speed and endurance seemed even greater than normal, a pace that she could barely match nor sustain. Despite this she held out against all odds, for she knew that the ninja they were about to face was no easy adversary, and Hinata would never let the one dearest to her face such an obstacle alone. Within a short while they reached the village center, where they were greeted by a group of villagers.

"Ohh thank the kami you are here!" exclaimed one villager

"You have to save Tsunami-san!" cried another

"Woah! Slow down there, so what direction was this masked ninja headed, and did that bastard say anything?" Naruto questioned the small crowd

"He looked like he was headed south" came one reply

"Yeah, actually he told us to tell you he would be waiting at Lake Shirokai, it's a small inland lake that's not far from the village"

"Inland lake south of here… Yosh!" confirmed Naruto as he readied himself for another breakneck run

"WAIT!!" Shouted out an exhausted, and suddenly extremely embarrassed, Hinata

"Oi Oi… What is it Hinata-chan?" asked a slightly stunned Naruto

"Ano… Naruto-kun I know that, well… you want to save Tsunami-san, b-b-but if this ninja told us where he'd be, ano… it might be a trap" Hinata managed to meekly reply "A-a-also if we arrive tired from running we will be disadvantaged against an unknown shinobi who well… might even be s-s-stronger than us already" (this commemorates the longest individual string of words Hinata has spoken in my fic so far)

"Geez I guess I kinda do rush into these things." Naruto acknowledged as he scratched his head sheepishly "I don't know what I'd do without you Hinata-chan!"

"…" At this point Hinata was only holding onto consciousness through the extreme willpower she was able to muster in light of the problem at hand

"Wow, I'm not really tired but you look really red Hinata-chan! Well since I'm fine I guess I could carry you for the rest of the way, so we can save some time." Offered Naruto

"…"

Taking her half conscious silence as a yes, Naruto gently picked Hinata up and deposited her on his back before once again taking off after the masked shinobi. Such immediate contact with Naruto sent Hinata's mind, already stressed to the point of oblivion, spiralling into the void. Hinata awoke to find herself lying at the base of a tree, not far from which was the shore of a sizable lake.

"Uhh… where am I?" Hinata dazedly asked before she noticed Naruto who was looking down on her

"You must have been really tired, you slept for a good 20 minutes on the way here." Naruto noted "I know Lee-san and Gai-sensei are pretty crazy, but you should join them when they do endurance training"

Hinata was about to faint again when she realized she had been in direct contact with Naruto for the past 20 minutes, and could still feel his lingering warmth. However her sense as a shinobi kicked in, and she immediately galvanized herself for action.

"Naruto-kun have you seen this masked ninja or Tsunami-san yet?" asked Hinata

"Well I did a brief search, but this forest is pretty dense, I guess we have no choice but to go out in the open." Naruto replied "Even if it is a trap, we gotta draw this guy out of hiding if we want to rescue Tsunami-san."

"A-a-actually Naruto-kun, I could do a scan of the surroundings with my Byakugan, they can't be too far off" suggested Hinata

"That's amazing Hinata-chan, I wish I had a cool bloodline like yours." Naruto commented

'It isn't all its cracked up to be.' Hinata thought to herself as she remembered her brutal training session with her father

As she scanned the surrounding area she noticed a chakra sign in the upper boughs of an oak tree about 100 metres west of their position. Suspecting it was the masked ninja they were looking for, she immediately notified Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, I found the ninja, but I can't seem to locate Tsunami-san anywhere… wait the ninja is moving, he is headed this way!" Hinata warned

"That bastard better not have harmed her!" Naruto growled out as he prepared himself for combat

"Wait, the ninja just stopped, and it looks like he is headed for the water…" began Hinata again "Hmm this is odd, he is out in the open now, you should be able to see him now."

As Hinata and Naruto watched the masked ninja, attempting to discern what his purpose was in revealing himself, he turned in their direction.

"I know you two are in there, why don't you both stop hiding, you are definitely not gonna find that woman at this rate" yelled Haku

"That's it! This punk is going down!" bellowed Naruto as he broke cover and rushed towards Haku's position

"Wait Naruto-kun, it still could be a trap!" cried Hinata

Within a short few seconds Naruto reached Haku and executed a quick taijutsu combo, hoping to catch Haku by surprise. However much to his surprise, Haku smoothly dodged his attack and executed a flowing counter kick that threw Naruto to the ground.

"Attacking already? Most people in a hostage situation would be a bit more careful…" quipped Haku

"You better not have done anything, or you're really gonna be sorry!" retorted Naruto as he dusted himself off

"Relax, the lady you speak of is unharmed, but you won't be finding her unless you beat me, something that I can assure you is easier said than done loudmouth-san" Haku responded

Hinata, having just arrived, quickly grabbed Naruto just as he was about to execute another headlong rush at his smartmouthed adversary.

"Naruto-kun, we need to work as a team, otherwise we might not be able to beat him…" advised Hinata "He is just goading you into rushing him, I know your better than that"

"Thanks Hinata-chan, I just get pissed off when I meet guys like this." Replied Naruto as a mental image of Sasuke and Neji smirking passed through his mind.

"Well I guess if you guys aren't gonna attack me…" Haku sighed before executing a lightning fast sequence of seals

"_Suiton Asaihashira no jutsu!_"

From the lake behind them a spiralling column of water blasted forth, all of its crushing force directed at Naruto. Already on guard as Haku had executed the handsigns, Naruto jumped out of the way, barely dodging the sizable technique.

"Nice dodge, I guess if I can't hit you I'll just have to… _Hyouketsu_!"

Hinata noticed the sudden surge of chakra into the ground, but before she could warn Naruto it was too late. The displaced water from Haku's last technique suddenly froze, trapping Naruto's legs in a layer of chakra hardened ice. Before Naruto could react, Haku ripped through another series of handsigns.

"_Hijutsu, Sensatsu Suishou!_"

A cloud of icy needles crystallized in mid air, and flew towards the immobilised Naruto, who responded purely on instinct, forming the tora seal and activating his favourite jutsu.

"_Kage Bunshin no jutsu!_"

The resulting mass of clones quickly poofed out of existence as the icy needles impaled them, though not before absorbing most of the impact, leaving Naruto with only a few minor scratches.

Immediately ready on the counter attack, Naruto summoned another mass of clones to swarm Haku, who was presumably caught off guard by Naruto's quick thinking. However when one of the leading clones slipped on the ice, the once fearsome charge became nothing more than an amusing tangle of limbs.

"Kai!"

Naruto dispelled his tangled clones and turned to face Haku, who was forcibly willing herself not to burst out into laughter.

"Just give up kid, and you will get out of this unharmed." Haku offered

"Teme! I don't see you winning either, and I ain't done yet!"

"_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

As the smoke cleared, a veritable army of clones was visible across the icy battlefield, waiting to stage assault.

"Lets show this punk what we've learned boys!" shouted Naruto, followed by a chorus of assent from his clones, who proceeded to attempt another charge.

"You know that more of a bad thing doesn't make it better" Haku noted as she began a series of handseals, preparing to take advantage of the expected tangle.

However, though Naruto was headstrong he certainly wasn't an idiot (well sorta, but in other things), remembering his training he channelled chakra into the soles of his feet, sticking to the icy ground. After having trained his chakra control on a vertical plane, channelling it onto the horizontal now was a cinch. The result was not a tangled mess, but rather an organized attack group, prepared to overwhelm the apparently defenceless Haku. Unfortunately for Naruto, the battlefield remained in Haku's favour, who was once again firing off handseals.

"_Hyoton, Michisuji no Henkaku_"

A field of glacial spikes erupted from the ground underneath the charging group, Naruto himself received a shallow cut in his leg as he barely managed to dodge, but the majority of the clones were fully impaled. Despite this he continued his attack, whipping a handful of shuriken at Haku, each of which was expertly deflected by her drawn senbon. By this point Naruto had closed the distance between them, and his drawn kunai was met with Haku's own senbon as they clashed face to face.

"Now that we are in close range, I have the advantage!" growled out Naruto as he gradually managed to push Haku back

"In power perhaps, but not necessarily in skill" noted Haku as her free hand began flipping out hand seals

Naruto however had the good sense to quickly break out of the stalemate, and just in time as a jagged pillar of ice impaled the space he had just occupied.

"Kuso! That was a bit too close there, I guess I definitely don't need these at the moment"

Rolling up his pants and sleeves, Naruto detached his weights and tossed them back, all of which left a deep impression where they landed.

"Yosh! Now I'm ready, one-handed seals or not, you are going down!" and with that ultimatum Naruto recommenced his attack.

Leaping into the air, Naruto a downward chop kick at Haku, surprised by the sudden increase in speed she was unable to dodge. The kick smashed through her skull, which suddenly burst into water along with the rest of her body, subsequently freezing onto Naruto's leg.

"Not this again!!" Naruto moaned, dodging the real Haku as she came from above

"Ohh don't worry, its different this time" responded Haku

After landing a good distance back Naruto noticed a rather odd sensation, a sort off cold creeping up his leg. Looking down at his leg he quickly found the cause, the ice frozen on his leg a second ago was now creeping around to encase his leg in its entirety.

"Ehhhh? Is this stuff alive or something!?" wondered Naruto aloud

"Not quite, but close enough for the job" Haku replied before once again leaping in to attack

As Naruto's mobility was gradually being reduced Hinata was focusing her thoughts on the situation, hoping to save Naruto from a chilling defeat. From what she could see the ice wasn't being fed any external chakra, so its growth seemed implausible, that is until she noticed another strange sight. The tenketsu in the frozen areas seemed to be drawing chakra from Naruto's central coils, as if Naruto himself was channelling it. The ice was acting as a parasite of sorts, and with that realization Hinata came up with the best course of action.

"Naruto-kun I need you to trust me, channel as much chakra as you can to your frozen leg, and don't hold back!" shouted Hinata

"Well Hinata-chan that's what I do best!" Naruto replied, grinning as forced every ounce of chakra he could into his leg

The encasing ice swelled for a moment and then exploded into a shower of shaved fine ice crystals.

'Hmm, that girl shouldn't be ignored, and as it is I'm running out of chakra… guess I'm going to have to pull out all the stops.' Thought Haku

"Well, looks like I've been targeting the wrong person!" and with that Haku sprung towards Hinata's position

"Hinata-chan!" cried out Naruto as he realized he wouldn't get there in time

Hinata however was no pushover, and even as Haku rushed for her she was prepared, sinking into a ready stance for jyuuken. Snaking her body around Haku's opening volley of senbon, she issued her own attack, attempting to seal her opponent's primary tenketsu. Unfortunately her flexibility couldn't compare with Haku's sheer speed, and her attacks repeatedly met thin air. This quick exchange was enough though, to allow Naruto the time to arrive and aid his teammate.

"Running away from me to target Hinata-chan eh? Well don't think I'm gonna let you get away!" Challenged Naruto

"Well actually I expected no less. _Hijutsu, Makyou Hyoushou"_ replied Haku as the air around Naruto and Hinata crystallized into a dome of mirrors. Sliding effortlessly into one of the mirrors, her image soon spread to each one, a multitude of expressionless masks gazing down on the suddenly confused pair of Konoha shinobi.

"Damn fell for his trap! Hinata-chan can you tell which mirror he is in?"

"All of the mirrors are infused with chakra, I can't tell where he is, its almost like he is in all of them at once!"

Within seconds numerous senbon flew from seemingly all directions, and their target was Naruto, who despite his best attempts at dodging, was still hit by many. As wave after wave descended on the pair, it became quite obvious to them that Naruto was the masked ninja's sole target. Hinata's first reaction was to move in to try and help defend against the endless series of attacks. However Naruto quickly stopped that course of action with a bellow.

"Hinata-chan stay back! Its not going to help if you get hurt too, instead find some way to stop this guy's technique."

'Naruto-kun is right, but how do I stop this guy, escaping would be the best option, but unless we break these mirrors it won't be possible.' Thought Hinata as she reviewed the situation 'I could try myself, but I don't have the strength, even with my training…'

Just as she began to drift in a mental litany of self-loathing, Hinata remembered Gai's philosophy of effort, her teammate needed her help, and at the very least she could do her best. With this newfound determination came a moment of clarity where she remembered an important detail, the mirrors were infused with chakra, which also meant that they were vulnerable to disruption.

'Yes! If I can dirupt the flow of chakra the mirror will simply become a sheet of ice, which can be broken quite easily!'

Armed with this goal in mind she executed a jyuuken strike on the mirror farthest from Naruto. The result however was not ideal, as the chakra within the mirror barely altered its form at all. Looking back on her training she understood the problem, just like the bark of the log, the web of chakra was too dense to be easily penetrated. Time however was not on her side, as Naruto was barely holding up underneath Haku's continuous assault.

'I need to hurry, or Naruto-kun might be killed!' thought Hinata frantically, pausing to take a quick breath to calm herself as she readied for another attempt, quietly whispering "sharper, deeper, stronger". With those words in mind she made her second attack, this time however there was a definite response, the chakra network visibly buckled, however it did not collapse completely. Realizing that her own efforts, despite being quite tangible would not be enough given the time constraint, she did the first thing that came to mind.

"Naruto-kun I can break this, but I need your help!"

However Haku was neither blind nor deaf, she had felt the effect of Hinata's technique on her mirrors, and she wasn't about to let them escape.

'Zabuza-san advised me to incapacitate the boy first, but I don't have enough chakra to finish this if they break free'

Just as Naruto shifted his focus to his teammate, Haku did the same and launched a quick barrage against her. Although Hinata could see the attack, it was too fast for her to dodge, turning her back she protected her vitals and took the attack.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted with concern as he rushed to her position

"I'm fine, but I need you to hit this mirror as hard as you can when I say so" replied Hinata

'Kuso! Looks like I didn't take them seriously enough, I cannot fail Zabuza-san!'

Knowing that she didn't have much time left, Haku channelled her remaining chakra into one final assault. The topmost mirrors suddenly shattered into hundreds of chakra-enhanced shards, which gathered the surrounding moisture and enlarged into sizable missiles.

"Naruto-kun look above us, he is going to attack!" warned Hinata as her Byakugan quickly noticed the impending threat

"I'm gonna put out everything I've got, and buy some time, just do your thing Hinata-chan." Naruto replied

"_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

The resulting legion of clones formed a shell around the two, just as Hinata initiated her attack, and Haku's final assault began.

"Now Naruto-kun" cried Hinata just as she completed her strike

Naruto's punched with every last bit of strength he had, and with a resounding boom the mirror exploded into shards as the two Konoha nin tumbled through. Their escape was perfectly timed as Haku's attack finished ripping through the clone barrier and impaled the spot where they had been just nanoseconds earlier.

"Yatta! We got out of their Hinata, and it was all thanks to you." Beamed the exhausted but otherwise jubilant Naruto

"N-nno it wasn't just me, it would have been impossible without y-y-you" replied an embarrassed Hinata

"I guess as Gai-sensei would say, the burning flames of our youthful teamwork won the day!"

A/N: Well this chapter was a long time coming, definitely not easy to write, and I'm gonna be appreciating any feedback as this scene was a major undertaking. Sadly the text doesn't do my visualization justice, but I hope your own imaginations can compensate 


End file.
